Published: Sunday, October 13, 2013 at 10:41 p.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, October 13, 2013 at 10:41 p.m.

MOORE, Okla. (AP) — The Oklahoma City Thunder will rebuild the outdoor basketball courts at the sites of three schools destroyed in the May 20 tornado.

The NBA team said Sunday before its Blue and White Scrimmage at Westmoore High School that it will rebuild courts at Briarwood Elementary, Plaza Towers Elementary and Highland East Junior High School, complete with Thunder branding, through its Thunder Cares Foundation.

“When the community lost these schools, they lost more than a place of learning for their children,” said Dan Mahoney, the team’s vice president of corporate communications and community relations. “The school facilities, including the basketball courts, served as the heart of these neighborhoods, and we are pleased and proud to be a part of restoring these communities.

“We made the commitment from the day the storms began to hold nothing back in responding to these communities’ needs. But we have also committed to be a part of the long-term rebuilding process.”

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